Grinding-mill for reduci ng grain



m E m C MIIIIIL' r ...v l C UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

LOUIS GATHMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRlNDlNG-MILL FOR REDUCING GRAIN, SLC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,729, dated November 3, 1885.

Application filed July 3, 1885. Serial No. 170,596. (No modeLl To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs GATHMANN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook'and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grinding-Mills for Reducing Grain and other Materials; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to the construction of that form of grinding-disks for reducing grain which have annular grindingfaces and central feed. It is more particularly intended to be applied to so-called feedmills,77 in which the grinding disks or plates are chilled cast-iron, and in which the entire reduction proposed is accomplished by passing the grain once through the mill as distinguished from gradual reduction 7 as performed in flour-milling, in which the grain is passed successively through several mills or operations of grinding. In mills of this class the inner margins of the opposing disks are commonly provided with deep radial or inclined furrows, which lessen in depth as they pass outward, said furrows being separated by prominences or ribs, which usually rise to or nearly to the level of the outer workingfaces. These furrows and ribs serve to conduct the grain outward to the more level marginal parts of the disk., where almost the entire work of the reduction is performed. It is, however, contemplated in such former construction that the grain will to some extent be caught between the said high radial ribs of one plate and those of the other, and so be rst coarsely broken before it reaches the outer and more finely-furrowed regions ofthe disk-faces. In the nature of the case but little grain is in fact so broken by the high ribs spoken of, with the result, as stated, that the work of reduction is largely effected in a narrow area of the working-faces of the disk.

It is one object of this invention to increase the reducing action of the inner parts of the disks while also providing for proper outward feed of the grain, and to thereby distribute the work more uniformly, and thus increase the capacity and durability of the plates.

It is another object of the invention to avoid clogging of the mill in the outer regions of the disk-faces, whereby its capacity and efficiency are still further increased.

Other objects or advantages and the manner of their attainment will fully appear from the following description of one embodiment of my invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure l is a plan View of the working-face of a disk-say the runner-disk-prepared in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the working-face of the opposing disk when both disks correspond. Fig. 3 shows opposing similar disks in central transverse section-say in the line X X of Fig. 2-but more widely separated from each other, obviously, than when they are in Working position. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional fragmentary views of opposing similar disks in a working position and enlarged.

A is, say, the runner, and B is the opposing and commonly stationary disk.

O O are a series of concentric annular V- shaped ribs on the inner portion of the face of each disk, which alternate with corresponding ribs on the opposing disk, so that when the disks are brought into proximity the said ribs of one disk enter the opposite and similarly-shaped grooves C of the other. Exterior to these interfitting ribs and grooves C C', and upon each disk, is a series of other annular V -Shaped ribs, c, and intervening grooves c, which are both narrower and more shallow than the inner ribs, C, and grooves C. I prefer that the outer ribs, c, of one disk shall oppose the corresponding grooves of the opposite disk, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6; but it will be within my invention if they shall stand to each other in the relation shown in Fig. 4, because said outer ribs and grooves are so small that it is not material.

It is a characteristic of my invention that the apices of the outer series of ribs, c, or other form of dress there employed, will be lower than that of the apices of the inner ribs, C, at least upon one disk, and I prefer that the difference in elevation shall be substantially the same, or nearly so, in both disks, as shown in Fig. 6. In operation the opposite disks IOO will proximate each other, as may be required, for different qualities of Work, as in the case of other forms of dress.

D D are inner tapering feed-furrows formed Y other furrows, d, having similar abrupt front and inclined rear faces, but smaller than D, and preferably of the same depth as the annular grooves which they intersect. These feed-furrows D d out the ribs C cinto short sections having V-shaped abrupt ends. By reason of the intercurrent arrangement of the ribs and grooves C and C it is evident that the grain passing outward from the central feed opening or eye of the. disk ordisks through the feed-furrows D will be caught between the abrupt ends of the ribs'Giof the opposing-disks, and will be cut or broken into fragments. These fragments or the larger of them will be carried along in the grooves C/ till they reach the next feed-furrow, where they Will be released, and

be forced farther outward, to be again caught and again reduced in the same way as before. Reaching the furrows d, they are further cut and reduced between the opposing abrupt ends of theribs c, and aresweptalong in the grooves till they reach other feed-furrows, and so pass finally from between the disks. To favor the prompt discharge of the ground product, recesses E E are desirably provided at intervals about the margin of the runner-disk A, at which recesses the outermost grooves c terminate and discharge. By reason of the intersecting arrangement of thefeed-furrows d and grooves c some part of the material will tend to pass out through the furrows, while other parts Will pass along the grooves, and this separation of the parts prevents massing and clogging of such material in either class of passages. The recesses E still further favor this result by affording prompt dischargeof the material at these points.

It is to be understood that the construction of the interfitting ribs C and grooves C', intersected by the inner feed-furrows, D, may be employed with any suitable form of exterior dress in place of the ribs and grooves c c', and, generally, in speaking of or providing for more than one advantage as the object or purpose of myinvention, I desire it to be understood that such modications of thedevices described asshall attain one or more but less than all the results obtainable from my improvements, as set forth, shallnot be regarded as departures from my invention.

I claim as my inventionu l. rIWo opposing grinding-disks provided with seriesof interfitting concentric ribs and grooves upon the innerportions of their Work' ing-faces intersected by tapering feed-furrows, and upon the outer portions of their faces with smaller and less elevated concentric ribs and grooves, alsointersected by feedfurrows, substantially as described.

2. In a pair of opposing grindingdisks, a form of dress comprising a series of inner ribs, C, and grooves C', intersected upon one of the disks by suitable deep feed-furrows, as D, the apices of the said inner ribs on one of the disks being more elevated than thek outer dress of the disk, substantially as described. 3. In a pair of opposing grinding-disks, a form of dress comprising a series of inner ribs, C, and grooves (Y, intersected upon one of the disks by suitable deep furrows, as D, the apices of the said inner ribs on both of the disks being more elevated than the outer dress of the disks, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, C. CLARENCE POOLE. 

